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RISING Exhibit Opens at NC State on March 28

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Katie Mosher, 919-515-9069, kmosher@ncsu.edu

The NC State College of Humanities and Social Sciences, in partnership with the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center and the African American Cultural Center, will host the RISING exhibit beginning on March 28. The grand opening event will include a panel discussion, poster showcase and reception during the exhibit. (RSVP for the opening event here.)

RISING is a multi-media collection of artistic and oral history accounts that present how the North Carolina coastal region has transformed over time. North Carolina Sea Grant originally funded the project through the Community Collaborative Research Grant Program, a partnership with NC State’s William R. Kenan Jr. Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science. RISING travels to communities throughout the state, helping North Carolinians better perceive changes occurring along the coastline. You can learn more about the RISING exhibit and preview some of the artwork in this feature in Coastwatch magazine or this video.

A discussion on the “Human Impacts of Sea Level Rise” will feature panelists Baxter Miller, one of the RISING curators and artists, and Karen Amspacher, director of the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center, co-author of Living at the Water’s Edge, who is also a member of the RISING team. Blair Kelley, professor of history and assistant dean of Interdisciplinary Studies and International Programs, and Andre Taylor, graduate student in the Public History Program and South East Climate Adaptation Science Center (SE CASC) Global Change Fellow, will also join the panel. Matthew Booker, associate professor in environmental history at NC State, will moderate the discussion. (The panel will be live-streamed here.)

This panel is the second of a three-part Global Change Seminar series implemented by the SE CASC Global Change Fellows. Each seminar focuses on a different aspect of sea level rise in order to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the science behind it, the impacts of sea level rise, and adaptation strategies to reduce risk.

“This exciting exhibit will help demonstrate all the ways that students and scholars across disciplines at NC State must respond to the topic of rising seas facing our state and the globe, and how the insights from culture and history can be in conversation with climate change adaptation,” says Kelley.

The student poster showcase will feature graduate and undergraduate students who are engaged in research focused on such topics as affected coastal peoples, the history of landscape change, coastal climate impacts, climate adaptation and coastal resiliency, and options for the future. Students from NC State and other colleges and universities are welcome to apply. This is an excellent opportunity for these scholars to share their research with other multi-disciplinary researchers and the broader community. Students may get more information about the showcase and submit a poster abstract by March 20 here.

A diverse team of creators, scientists and local community members developed RISING with an emphasis on collaboration across disciplines. Likewise, the panel discussion and research presentations at the exhibit also will reflect a range of academic fields. This event symbolizes the integration of diverse backgrounds, expertise and interests joining together to address issues around sea level rise in North Carolina.

Local chef Ricky Moore’s reception at the opening event will feature North Carolina seafood.

Schedule of events on March 28:

3:30 – 4:30 p.m. | Panel Discussion | African American Cultural Center, 356 Witherspoon Student Center

4:30 – 5:30 p.m. | Student Poster Showcase | 201 Witherspoon Student Center

4:30 – 5:30 p.m. | Reception and Exhibit Viewing | African American Cultural Center Art Gallery, 2nd floor

The RISING exhibit will be on display from March 28 until May 31 at the African American Cultural Center Art Gallery from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

This event was made possible by a grant from the NC State College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Office of Research and Engagement. The initial technical support and funding to develop the RISING exhibit was provided by North Carolina Sea Grant. Baxter Miller and Ryan Stancil are the artists and curators of RISING. North Carolina Sea Grant’s Jess Whitehead provided scientific perspectives for the project. Acknowledgement also goes to the NC State Office of Interdisciplinary Studies, the NC State History Department, and the NC State Program on Science, Technology, and Society.

adapted from a press release from the Global Change Forum

photo by Baxter Miller (adapted for this format) 

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